In a statement released on Friday, the Committee’s Director of Media and Publicity, Mr Tonnie Oganah, urged the people of Anioma to embrace the campaign with “love, unity and prayers to God,” noting that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its genuine members are firmly behind the agitation.
Oganah presented a 15-point summary tracing the roots of the Anioma State demand as far back as 1951, when the proposal for a “Lower Niger State” first emerged. He credited notable historical figures such as Dennis Osadebe, the then Obi of Idumuje-Ugboko (grandfather to Senator Ned Nwoko), Idisi Dafe, Humphrey Iwerebon, and Senator Nosike Ikpo for championing the cause. Many of these early advocates were actively involved in the Igbo Union, a platform which later evolved into Ohanaeze Ndigbo after the Nigerian Civil War.
Addressing the sensitive topic of political zoning, Oganah clarified that the concept is not enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution. “Zoning was politically introduced by the late Vice President Dr Alex Ekwueme during the Second Republic and only gained national attention around the 1999 general
elections,” he explained.He stressed that fiscal allocations are determined by states and local government areas—not political zones—making state creation a more viable path to addressing Anioma’s development concerns.
Highlighting the potential socioeconomic benefits of the proposed Anioma State, Mr Oganah said it would lead to job creation for youths, increased contracts for local entrepreneurs, and targeted empowerment for women. According to him, existing local government areas would be evenly split to form 18 LGAs, up from the current nine, ensuring broader grassroots development.
He also pointed to long-standing developmental imbalances within the current Delta State structure. While acknowledging Ika’s relative political visibility, he decried the ongoing underdevelopment of the Ndokwa/Ukwuani axis—despite its large population and land mass.
Responding to claims that the statehood campaign is merely a political project championed by Senator Ned Nwoko, Oganah was emphatic: “This movement is not about any single individual. Once Anioma State is created, the benefits will reach every Anioma person—not just Senator Prince Ned Nwoko.”
He praised the APC and its members for lending credible support to the campaign, calling on all Anioma sons and daughters to rally around the movement in a spirit of unity and collective purpose.
“The time is now. Let us rise in unity and purpose to support this noble aspiration,” he declared.
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